Tag: wsof

Rousimar Palhares turned in an equally impressive and despicable performance in submitting Jake Shields at WSOF 22 last weekend, defending his welterweight title for the second time in the process. But keeping in line with what we’ve come to expect from the Brazilian, the fight was not without its controversies – Palhares not only gouged Shields’ eyes while mounted in the second round (the damage of which you can see above), but held onto the fight-ending kimura long after referee Steve Mazzagatti had intervened.

With it being revealed earlier today that Shields has suffered significant damage to the shoulder Palhares cranked, “Toquinho” has once again found himself in the hot seat following a victory. WSOF VP Ali Abdel-Aziz threatened to strip Palhares of his title upon reviewing the fight, and on today’s The MMA Hour, WSOF President Ray Sefo followed suit, doing just that and suspending Palhares indefinitely following the NSAC’s investigation of the fight.

At WSOF 19 on Saturday, featherweight champion Justin Gate-gee (I’m spelling it how it’s pronounced from now on. You hear me, Joanna Unj8chick?!) took on AFC and Bellator veteran Luis “Baboon” Palomino. The young phenom was being listed as high as a 5-to-1 favorite over his journeyman opponent, but instead of a quick and easy squash match, what transpired at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Phoenix, Arizona might just have been the greatest title fight in WSOF history.

But Gaethje vs. Palomino wasn’t the only highlight of the night. No, another came in the form of noted dirtbag Thiago Silva getting pounded out, prison-style, by late replacement opponent Teddy Holder. A gif of that finish and the full WSOF 19 results are after the jump.

Now that he’s been profiled by ESPN, it would be safe to say that Phoenix Jones (aka Ben Fodor) is quite the hot commodity right now. His recent Twitter postings seem to back this notion, as does the fact that he’s recently gone full War Machine and changed his name. With a 15-2 ammy record and 5-0-1 pro record at just 26 years of age, it’d also be safe to say that the guy’s made enough noise *and* proven himself enough to be called up to the big leagues. (looking at you, guy whose name rhymes with Bee Phlegm Skunk).

Regardless of how you feel about Jones, WSOF President Ray Sefo told MMAjunkie today that the undefeated welterweight has signed a multi-fight deal with World Series of Fighting, with his debut expected to take place at WSOF 20 on April 10. No opponent has yet to be named, but our bet is on Afro Ninja.

The winner of their contest would go on to challenge Rousimar Palhares for the welterweight title at a later date, and despite the slow start, Shields scored his second consecutive submission win. He’s now 2-0 since being fired from the UFC:

It’s February 18th, 2016 (or something like that), which can only mean one thing: There dun been a whole lotta MMA fights booked today! And rather than give you some paint-by-numbers fight booking breakdown (looking at you, Goldsteen), I’ve decided to do pretty much that, but with gifs. So without further askew, let’s get to it!

Although he won’t be getting that rematch with Rampage Jackson in Bellator he was hoping for, Hamill has in fact signed an exclusive contract with World Series of Fighting, and is expected to make his debut as part of a 4-man tournament for the promotion’s light heavyweight belt. There’s no word on who he’ll be facing yet (our guess is another UFC veteran, which is all this tournament is made up of), but we feel confident not giving two shits about this fight regardless. Ranking:

The meeting was not without it’s fair share of actual, noteworthy highlights, however, so let’s get to them…

- If you recall, Jake Shields fought Ed Herman in a middleweight contest at UFC 150 back in 2012, emerging victorious via unanimous decision. Shortly thereafter, it was announced that Shields had tested positive for a banned substance, resulting in a $5,675 fine and his win being overturned. What Shields tested positive for exactly remained a mystery until yesterday’s meeting, when in the process of applying for a fight license for his upcoming WSOF 17 main event fight with Brian Foster, Shields admitted to using diuretics, not Mary Jane as we had suspected, prior to UFC 150. (via MMAFighting):

Shields said he was given the diuretics in 2012 by someone he knew from fighting, but not a fellow fighter. He said it was someone he didn’t know very well and called it a “mistake.”

“I learn from my mistakes,” Shields said. “I’d like to think that, at least. I’m not one to go through what I went through before.”

“I didn’t know it was banned, but it was my fault,” he said. “It was my responsibility.”

If Rousimar Palhares cranks a kneebar after his opponent taps out and nobody’s there to see it, does it still produce outrage?

Well, the jury is still out. You see, Rousimar Palhares fought Jon Fitch at WSOF 16 for the promotion’s welterweight championship. Just one problem: UFC on Fox 13 happened last night during pretty much the same time slot. The event, featuring the likes of Junior Dos Santos, Alistair Overeem and Nate Diaz, had enough star power to completely eclipse poor WSOF.

Forget Ortiz vs. Bonnar. Forget Werdum vs. Hunt (lol jk). Justin Gaethje vs. Melvin Guillard is going down at WSOF 15 this weekend with the lightweight championship on the line and promises to be the most knock-down, drag-out, didyouseethatbro barnburner of them all. Both fighters have become well known for their relentless aggression and knockout power, and both have promised to put a serious hurtin’ on the other, so what else do you need to get excited for this fight, you buncha nerds?

“How about a few of their recent fight videos accompanied by some base-level insight and a noncommittal prediction, Danga?”

Well, YOU FUCKIN’ GOT IT. Here…we…GO!

The Challenger

(Sorry for the quality, but the original got pulled. GEE I WONDER WHY.)

Look, you already know who Melvin Guillard is, how he fights, which one-hit wonder he fashioned his look after, etc. Gaethje vs. Guillard is one of those rare matchups where the challenger is actually more of a household name than the champion — like Weidman vs. Belfort or Martinez vs. Zimmer. This fact has not been lost on Guillard, who recently told MMAMania that he is “an A-list fighter, fighting in the B-league” and that Gaethje is “nowhere near his level.”

While it’s evident that humility (and submission defense) cannot be found among Guillard’s many great qualities, a few things that *can* be found among them are a lightning fast jab, a murderous left hook, and at the risk of sounding racist, explosive athleticism. Simply put, when Guillard is having an on night, it’s his ability to get off first that usually leads him to victory. He may be in perpetual search of the highlight reel KO, but Guillard is also a tactician when it comes to how he mixes up his combinations with body shots and leg kicks. Guillard also has great head movement and takedown defense, and it’s his confidence in said takedown defense that allows him to throw from the clinch with reckless abandon, where he has overwhelmed many a fighter with the pure volume of strikes he is willing to throw.

WSOF 14: “Shields vs. Ford” came and went last night from Edmonton’s Expo Centre in Alberta, Canada, with the majority of the focus on a former UFC and Strikeforce combatant looking to regain his flair.